A division bench comprising justices Arun Tandon and Rituraj Awasthi passed the order on the petition of Bulandshahr resident Nathimal, who challenged the grant of lease for 40 acres of land, for a period of 90 years, to Jaiprakash Sewa Sansthan - a trust run by the Jaypee group of industries.

The petitioner claimed that there was no law under which the state could give land to a private person.

He also alleged that the municipal council of Anoopshahr, while granting the lease of the land in 2009, had fixed the annual rent payable at Rs 40,000 which should have been no less than Rs 96 lakh as per the prevailing rates.

The court directed the state government to explain under which law the land could have been given to a private party, and fixed July 17 as the next date of hearing in the matter.

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